Police file charge sheet in Juhu sundown party case

Ten months after raiding a sundown party at Oakwood Premier hotel in Juhu, the police on Wednesday filed a charge sheet before the special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court against 86 persons who had tested positive for drug consumption, including cricketer Rahul Sharma and other celebrities.

The 1,213-page document names Vishay Handa, a director of the hotel who is alleged to have organised the party on May 20 last year, as the co-accused in the case. The celebs listed as accused include Deepesh Sharma and Rakesh Sharma – the two DJs who were playing music at the party – fashion designer Rakesh Singhvi (Rocky S), and actor couple Apoorva and Shilpa Agnihotri.

While the partygoers who tested positive were booked under section 27 of NDPS Act (illegal possession of small quantity for personal consumption of any narcotic drug), Handa has been additionally charged under section 25 of NDPS Act (for allowing the premises to be used for commission of an offence).

The police have so far arrested 51 of the 86 accused, who were later released on bail. The rest 35 have been listed as wanted, which includes the foreigners who had fled India after the medical check-up.

The charge sheet includes medical reports of the accused, and statements of 21 witnesses, along with several other documents to prove the prosecution’s case.

Special NDPS judge IM Bohari, before whom the case is being tried, is yet to take cognisance of the charge sheet, following which the arrested accused will be summoned.

As per the case, the Juhu police had raided the hotel following a tip-off about consumption of drugs at the party, in which 90 persons were rounded up. The police had recovered 110 grams of cocaine, 64 grams of charas and MDMA tablets.

The partygoers were, however, let off after their blood and urine samples were collected by the police at the JJ and Cooper hospitals.

Of the 92 persons rounded up, 86 tested positive, who have been made accused in the case.